How locked in was Justin Masterson?
In the fourth inning, he struck out the side on nine pitches — the first pitcher in Indians history to do that — which was part of a run in which he threw 25 consecutive strikes.
No, really.
Masterson, the Indians’ missing-in-action No. 1 starter, pitched like a No. 1 starter on June 2, and the Indians extended their winning streak to four games with a 3-2 win over the Boston Red Sox, snapping Boston’s seven-game winning streak.

Masterson hadn’t won a game since May 8, and in four starts since then, he was 0-3 with an 8.84 ERA.
But on June 2, Masterson (3-4) was everything he wasn’t in his previous four starts — efficient, durable and stingy.
In seven scoreless innings, he held the Red Sox to three hits, striking out a season-high 10 and walking four.
“It took him 66 pitches to get the first seven outs, then he throws 25 strikes in a row,” said Tribe manager Terry Francona. “He’s facing a bunch of left-handers, but he stayed down, changed speeds and attacked the zone.”
In the fourth inning, Masterson struck out Jonny Gomes, Grady Sizemore and Stephen Drew on nine pitches.
“In the moment, I didn’t realize it. I just realized it was strike, strike, see you,” Masterson said.
The Red Sox were impressed.
“His ball moves so much, which, it’s hard to square one up,” said Boston catcher A.J. Pierzynski. “That’s why he leads the league in walks, because his ball moves so much. But when he’s locating, he’s as tough as they come.”
Bryan Shaw relieved Masterson to start the eighth inning and gave up a two-run home run to Zander Bogaerts, to turn a 3-0 Tribe lead into a 3-2 lead.
But Shaw, Marc Rzepczynski and Cody Allen got the final outs to preserve the win, with Allen picking up his fourth save by retiring Sizemore on a popout for the final out of the game.
Masterson started slowly, but once he got rolling, he stayed rolling. He walked four batters in the first three innings, but pitched out of a bases-loaded jam when he struck out Gomes after falling behind in the count 3-0.
“He made a huge pitch to Gomes when he had to, and that allowed him to settle in,” said Francona.
“He’s down, 3-0, to Gomes, and it looks like we’re in the driver’s seat, but he made a good pitch down in the zone,” said Red Sox manager John Farrell.
Then came the rolling part.
“From the fourth through the seventh inning, there was nothing to be had,” Farrell said. “He (Masterson) went from being erratic early to the point where he couldn’t throw a ball.”
Indians’ hitters, meanwhile, did their work early against Sox starter John Lackey (6-4). In the first inning, Michael Bourn and Michael Brantley both drew walks. Jason Kipnis grounded out, putting runners at second and third with two outs.
Lonnie Chisenhall then sliced a two-run single to left field. It became 3-0 in the third inning when the resurgent Bourn belted a triple to the wall in center field, then scored on a single by Asdrubal Cabrera.
Lackey sat on the Indians bats through the middle innings, although the Tribe helped him out by hitting into three double plays in the first five innings.
Lackey pitched a complete game, giving up three runs on eight hits, with three strikeouts and two walks.